


Your Home Isn't a Place You can be Happy Anymore

by AlexBarton



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Amrod dies at Losgar canon, Canonical Character Death, Don't copy to another site, Flight of the Noldor, Helcaraxë, Kinslaying, Oath of Fëanor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-08
Updated: 2019-06-08
Packaged: 2020-04-12 16:23:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19135744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexBarton/pseuds/AlexBarton
Summary: Being one of the only girl cousins in a huge family, it made me wonder what it would be like if Fëanor had a daughter, especially if she was really different from her brothers and had no interest in the forge or other arts.Also, what would happen if the kids didn't swear the Oath? How much of the story would that change if they didn't have the compulsion forced by the Oath?Title from the P.C. Cast quote "Sometimes the people closest to you betray you, and your home isn't a place you can be happy anymore."





	Your Home Isn't a Place You can be Happy Anymore

**Author's Note:**

> I was playing around with the idea that people could only swear one Oath to Eru in their lives, and when it was up, then they could swear another one. At this point Nerdanel has left Fëanor, so I’m counting that as their marriage oaths are null and void.

  _Then Fëanor swore a terrible Oath:_

  _"Be he foe or friend, be he foul or clean, brood of Morgoth or bright Vala, Elda or Maia or Aftercomer, Man yet unborn upon Middle-earth, neither law, nor love, nor league of swords,_ _dread nor danger, not Doom itself, shall defend him from Fëanor, and Fëanor's kin, whoso hideth or hoardeth, or in hand taketh, finding keepeth or afar casteth a Silmaril. This swear we all: death we will deal him ere Day's ending, woe unto world's end! Our word hear thou, Eru Allfather! To the everlasting Darkness doom us if our deed faileth. On the holy mountain hear in witness and our vow remember, Manwë and Varda!"_

  _... and many quailed to hear the dread words. For so sworn, for good or evil, an oath may not be broken, and it shall pursue oathkeeper and oathbreaker to the world’s end._ 1

He then looked about him and called upon his children to take the Oath of their father.

First stepped forward the Ambarussa, his youngest. “We cannot pledge Atar, for we have not come of age and cannot swear before Eru until then. But we pledge, upon our honour, to follow you in your deeds!”

Then stepped forward Fairiël, the only and most beloved daughter of Feanor. “Atar, I have already pledged myself once before Eru as a healer in the service of Estë, I cannot swear before him again.”

At that, Tyelkormo stepped forward and denied his father as well. “Atar, I as well have pledged myself to Lord Oromë in his Hunt before Eru. But I pledge, upon my honour, to follow you.”

Fëanor turned to his elder sons. “Will you not take the Oath, Nelyafinwë and Kanafinwë?”

Makalaurë shook his head. “I am married Atar, and I have sworn before Eru my wedding vows. But I pledge, upon my honour, to follow you.”

Curufinwë replied much the same as Makalaurë.

Fëanor again turned to his eldest son. “Will you not take the Oath, Nelyafinwë?”

Maitimo paused and looked across the square before answering. “Atar, I cannot. I am recently married.”

A stir rose through the crowd at that. No one had known that the Crown Prince of the Noldor had been courting anyone, much less had gotten married.

Fëanor’s eyes narrowed. “Come closer. I wish to see you.”

Maitimo did as he was bade, and his father peered into his eyes2, then sighed with disgust.

“And who have you married, and without my knowledge as well?!”

It was only then that Maitimo’s countenance began to waver. Someone pushed through the crowd, and then Findekáno was standing next to Maitimo’s side.

“I am his husband, Uncle.”

Fëanor spat at Findekáno's feet. “A lie I say.”

Ñolofinwë pushed through the crowd as well. “It is not. I witnessed the vows.”

Fëanor’s face filled with fury at that, and he turned to face his half-brother. "You have poisoned my own child against me!"

Before a fight could break out, Maitimo stepped in front of his father again.

“Please Atar. I cannot take your Oath, but I will follow you, upon my honour, just as my brothers have pledged before me.”

Fëanor was quiet for a moment, then turned from his sons and cried out to the host of Noldor still assembled there, “We must leave quickly, oh my people. Let us be gone!3” 

**Author's Note:**

> (1) Taken from the Quenta Silmarillion and Morgoth's Ring.
> 
> (2) In Tolkien's canon, you can tell that an elf is married by looking at their eyes. *shrugs*
> 
> (3) "Let us be gone!" is taken from the Quenta Silmarillion.
> 
> Fairiël (=freedom) is only a year older than the Ambarussa.
> 
> Also, I didn't forget Caranthir. He's the only one who doesn't have a plausible reason to not swear the Oath other than "I don't want to be the only one doing it so I'm just gonna stay quiet" and fortunately for him, Fëanor is sufficiently distracted by Fingon and Maedhros's marriage.


End file.
